Snow shovel



E. H. BICKLEY Sept. 5, 1950 SNOW SHOVEL Filed March 19, 1948 INVENTOR. EVERETT H. BICKLEY J3 d1, @a, Mfgf,

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 5, 1950 V UNITED. STATES QEF SNOW SHOVEII Everett H. Bickley, Balal-flynwyd Pa.

Application March 19, 1948, Serial No;-15,829'

Claims.

The present invention relatesto shovels. and more particularlyto an improved snow :remov-ing shovel.

In ,the-useofsnow. shovels nowon the market th'auserhas .to..grasp a. hand grip. with-one hand and then grasp the handle with the other hand at some place between the hand grip and the scoop. Thus, to scoop up a load of snow the user must bend well over to carry out the operations of lifting and then throwing the snow to one side. This is not only excessively tiring, but involves the necessary effort to raise the users body to an erect discharging position. While it has heretofore been proposed to equip shovels with an auxiliary handle to lessen the effort in shovelling, these have not met the requirements for snow removal, in that some are too short to permit erect shovelling, while all fail to so attach the auxiliary handle as to allow the free universal action necessary to throw the material sideways during discharge, and at the most effective place on the scoop.

Some of the objects of the present invention are: to provide an improved shovel of the type having an auxiliary handle; to provide an improved snow shovel capable of loading, lifting and discharging while the user is in an upright position; to provide an improved snow shovel that lifts the load from a point substantially within the scoop area to take the leverage off the arms of the user; to provide a shovel that can be tilted in any position freely for throwing snow sidewise; to provide a snow shovel that is extremely light in weight, comfortable to use, and cheap to construct; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a perspective of a snow shovel embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary section medially of the scoop and on a larger scale; Fig. 4 represents the shovel in the hands of the user showing erect scooping position; and Fig. 5 represents the shovel in the hands of the user showing erect discharge position.

Referring to the drawings, one form of the present invention is shown as applied to a shovel of the snow shovel type, wherein a scoop I0, preferably of arcuate configuration is carried by a handle II which terminates in a hand grip I2. The length of the handle II is such that when the scoop I0 rests on the ground the hand grip I2 is conveniently positioned to be grasped by the user while the latter is in an'erect position.

In order to lift the scoopq-I 0, .while loaded, and at the; same time allow the userto maintain an erect positionxwhilezlift'ing,andthrowing thereon-.- tents of thezscoop to :oneside; an auxiliary hand grip. I3; is providednandforms; the freaend ofta wire or other loop I4, which traverses the eye I5 of a pivot pin I6. In the present instance, the pin I6 is a suitable cotter pin which passes through the scoop II! from the front thereof to extend through the end portion of the handle I I located on the back of the scoop I0. When properly located, the split ends of the pin I6 are bent in the .usual manner to retain the parts in assembled condition. The location of the pin IS on the scoop III is important and is preferably at a point on the longitudinal axis of the scoop but so spaced from the back edge of the scoop as to provide an effective leverage for the arm's of the user while always in an erect position.

When the shovel is not in use the auxiliary hand grip I3 can be removably secured to the shovel handle II in any suitable or practical manner, the preferred means comprising a round-headed screw I! which is screwed into the wooden hand grip I3 to project from the side which is juxtaposed to the shovel handle II. Preferably, the handle I I is of tubular aluminum and has a hole I8 located in the face thereof at such a location as will allow the head of the screw I! to enter and thus anchor the auxiliary handle unit closely against the shovel handle I I.

In operation the user, while standing erect, can grasp both hand grips while the work edge of the scoop III rests upon the ground, and then using the arm which controls the hand grip I2, the handle I I carrying the scoop II] can be pushed forward without altering the users erect position. No bending whatever is necessary. The scoop I0 now being loaded with snow or other material, the other arm of the user, through the medium of the auxiliary hand grip I3, lifts the scoop I0 and throws the material off of the scoop and to one side. The substantially universal joint formed by the novel cotter pin construction aids materially in the proper sidewise discharge of the material. While the present invention is primarily for use in snow removal, it can be applied to other types of shovels, i. e. for digging the auxiliary handle is made an amount longer, equal to the amount the implement is desired to enter the material dug.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a shovel comprising a scoop, a handle attached to said scoop and terminating in a hand grip, an auxil iary handle having a length to be grasped by the user in an erect position, and means to attach said auxiliary handl to said scoop at a point in close proximity to the center of said scoop.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a shovel comprising a scoop, a handle attached to said scoop and terminating in a hand grip, an auxiliary handle having a length to be gras ed by the user in an erect position, and means to attach said auxiliary handle to said scoop at a point in close proximity to the center of said scoop, said means including a universal joint.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a shovel comprising a scoop, a handle attached to said scoop and terminating in a hand grip, an auxiliary handle having a length to be grasped by the user in an erect position, a pivot located medially of said scoop between the center and the back edge thereof, and means to attach said auxiliary handle to said pivot.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a shovel comprising a scoop, a handle attached to said scoop and terminating in a hand grip to be grasped by a user in an erect position, an auxiliary hand grip, a cotter pin traversing said scoop at an effective leverage point, and a wire loop through said cotter pin with its ends attached to said auxiliary hand grip, said loop having a length to permit its hand grip to be grasped while the user is in an erect position.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a shovel comprising a scoop, a handle therefore, and extended lifting means universally attached within the area of said scoop.

EVERETT H. BICKLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 161,678 Gardner Apr. 6, 1875 725,905 Williams Apr. 21, 1903 842,912 Rundell Feb. 5, 1907 875,504 Clark Dec. 31, 1907 911,291 Byor Feb. 2, 1909 1,374,061 Coleman Apr. 5, 1921 1,586,056 Walsh May 25, 1926 

